I am the one who makes dinner in my family. My husband always makes a big show of thanking me for a great dinner (Even when it is not so great.) I love the compliments and the recognition. Making dinner gets pretty boring and it helps to know that what I do for my family is appreciated.
How did this all get started? In our pre-marital counseling classes, our instructor told us that whoever makes dinner should be thanked. It is a great way to show appreciation, and encouragement for the things that married people do for each other. Especially the mundane things that tend to get overlooked. And most important, eventually down the line, this little act of decency will teach kids a simple lesson in gratitude. My husband is a pretty polite guy, he is born and bred in the Midwest and probably would have thanked me anyway. But I know he takes it seriously because of what he learned in that class.
My older children have picked up on this simple ritual and have started to thank me at the end of our meals. This was a silent lesson that they learned. There were no lectures on how they should appreciate all that I do for them. No preaching about how they shouldn’t take their mother for granted. They just picked up this great habit from their Dad. That is parenting in action. The best way to teach our kids to be good, upstanding adults is to act the way we want them to act.
Let us know what kind of role modeling you do in your home that silently teaches your kids good values. Feel free to comment below.
6 Responses
Very often, after our prayers, my nine year old son request that I do a relaxation session with him. This relaxation I learned when taking yoga classes. As I mention each part of the body to be relax, I remind him to feel grateful. For example, ..now relax your feet..knees… and hips…. and feel thankful for your legs for there are people that cann’t walk…relax your hips…feel the oxigen traveling through your body…relax your belly… feel thankful that you are not hungry… for there are people in the world that don’t have any food… By the time I’m done he is sleeping.
As a long-time subscriber to “Raising Small Souls,” I have enjoyed many helpful articles over the years. Though my children aren’t small anymore, 20 and soon-to-be, 25, I still enjoy reading some of the articles. I have referred many friends with younger children to the site as well.
I particularly liked this article entitled, Good Parenting: How To Raise Your Child To Be Grateful, because, with the exception of counseling, which we did not do, it perfectly describes my husband and older children. I could make something fancy, I could heat up left-over pizza, it doesn’t matter, because my family always thanks me, not only for cooking but for any kindness I offer.
I am so grateful and truly impressed with this site’s commitment to old-fashioned values and encouraging us as parents to ‘keep the faith’ with our child-rearing practices in spite of all the reasons to not be so involved, like both parents working and the stress of single-parenting. Thank you for constantly reminding me to stay focused. I believe too it is the most important job we have to do in life but so easy to let other important things take the forefront. An appreciative member of your audience!
That sounds great! I am a yogi myself.
Adina
I am so glad to hear that. Thanks for referring your friends!
I am so glad you are enjoying!
adina